Fallen Angels

On Delastar XVI Overlord Yhavshil tried out the latest addition to the armoury of the Irivikan Dynasty: Two rival Imperial marine forces had been detected, giving the ideal opportunity to carry out testing on the newly developed deceptor field generator.

Operated from low orbit, the weapon operated using highly classified Necron technologies combining some form of psycho suggestive techniques coupled with some kind of energy wave that alters the perception of lesser species along patterns determined by holographic projector systems that implant images in the mind directly that override or adapt signals from a creature’s optic nerve. In short, the enemy see false images of whatever the Necron commander dictates.

Combined with blanket blocking of transmissions on and to and from the planet surface, the field once activated successfully distorted the perceptions of the unit of space wolves based there, so that they perceived arriving units of Yhavshil’s arriving storm Battalion as fellow marines, whilst the blood Angels to their North East appeared to be an Ork invasion force.

The Blood Angels, advancing to investigate the communications loss detected the Necron Approach and moved to assist their allies. Imagine their confusion when they saw their battle brothers falling in to line of battle with us, whilst simultaneously calling them for assistance against an ork horde.

The overlord aboard the Ghost Ark NNV Forced March with eight warriors took position on the eastern flank with the Annihilation Barges NNV Courageous and NNV Conqueror to the west. Space wolves formed up behind and across our centre occupying ruins in the middle of our position.

The enemy was double the wolves’ strength with an estimated six heavy troop squads loaded with meltas including a strong force of sanguinary guard under one of their top commanders. On the eastern flank a dreadnaught promised formidable opposition. Unfortunately the Deceptor Field has not yet been developed to cope with a force this size, so we had to make do with the lesser allies.

The space wolves had a surprise for the Angels however: a drop pod of heavily armed marines landing by the dreadnaught and melting it with a savage point bank volley of fire. The wolves’ armoured vehicle also added its fire to the enemy left whilst the Forced March moved across and opened fire in support.

The wolf infantry opened up on the array of enemy troops drawn up in deep ranks across our entire front, the wolves’ fire and blast weapons inflicted losses and our barges added to the pile of Angel corpses. It’s estimated that despite their heavy armour as many as one in six of the enemy fell under this barrage.

The Angels pivoted the weight of their attack towards the east and attacked the drop pod and its passengers by assault. The wolves held but were clearly outmatched in this encounter. The drop pod was destroyed by one of the three priests that accompanied several units, proving a dab hand with a melta bomb. The wolves’ transport was also destroyed by overwhelming point blank melta fire and exploded.

Not to be out done by their former comrades, the Angels now dropped their own pod on our right disgorging passengers that threatened the Forced March as the wolves advanced more slowly. Melta fire damaged the Forced March which fell back, firing as she did so; meanwhile three heavy destroyers arrived from our reserve positions behind the enemy and opened fire on the enemy right inflicting losses from an unexpected quarter including a priest who thought himself safe at the back. An assault attempt against the Forced March fortuitously failed.

But now the star turn of the day, our Night Shroud, the NNV Invulnerable also powered overhead, supporting the threatened eastern units. Its bomb fell in the heart of three enemy squads killing an estimated third of the enemy elite at a stroke. Its tesla fire then arced into the western enemy troops, joined by the firepower of our barges and wolves. The enemy right was disintegrating fast and the left had had its heart torn out.

The enemy was not finished yet though and finished off the remaining wolves in the assault on our right and the meltas made no mistake a second time, detonating the already damaged Forced March. Only one passenger was killed and fortunately he re-animated. The warriors scrambled from the wreck, some taking up position in adjacent ruins.

Our barges manoeuvred away from remaining meltas on our left whilst the wolves continued their general advance, joined by wolf cavalry from their reserves. Arriving from our reserve, the Night Scythe NNV Shock and Awe followed in the wake of the Invulnerable, dropping a full squad of immortals and a cryptek close the remnants of the enemy main force.

The weight of fire from our superior numbers including our warriors and immortals was telling and the Angels’ drop pod and two of the four partial squads remaining on their left fell. On the right our destroyers killed the enemy warlord and fire from the wolves finished off two more squads, helped by another bomb from the Invulnerable which had jinked away from a potentially deadly barrage of melta fire as the confused Angels tried to rally in the centre.

The Angels’ calls for flyer assistance meanwhile went unanswered and the five survivors surrendered rather than enter a third combat phase. Our final reserves, four destroyers, three of them heavy had not even arrived. Our losses from a force of 1494 (although only 1274 saw action), were restricted to the Forced March, a loss rate of less than 8%. Wolf casualties were light too although they lost their vehicle, drop pod and one complete unit, possibly 25%? Angel losses were estimated at 90%, including the total destruction of seven out of ten units.

So how did that happen? Well we clearly destroyed the enemy extremely quickly in just three attacks. Their flyer did not appear, but then our reserves were not particularly punctual either and our starting forces were significantly weaker than the Angels as we could only deploy troops and heavy support.

The Angels themselves put it down to the impact of the Invulnerable, and it’s true that its two bomb hits did account for over half the Angel casualties. The overall bottom line is we were able to hit them harder and faster than they could retaliate. Perhaps it would have been different if they had been able to assault more than two of our units, as they were victorious in each of these attacks.

With a 50% chance of the Angels seizing the initiative in this scenario, perhaps that single determination set the outcome before the battle even started. We also benefited from special stealth protection countermeasures that saved/ delayed/ reduced losses several times for us helping reduce the impact of his otherwise formidable melta arsenal. What a win though! The corpse emperor must be spinning on his throne